Founder of Curly-Centric Jamaica, Trudy-Ann Hylton, talks about how Jamaica’s first ever natural hair group got started. Plus, she takes us inside a CCJ meet-up--nothing like we’ve seen before.

SH: Tell me about the inspiration behind Curly-Centric? How did it all start?
CCJ: A couple months into my own natural journey I was totally confused as it regarded treatment, styling and overall maintenance of my natural hair. I also went about doing some informal research and found that there were many other naturals in Kingston, Jamaica that needed somewhere to go where they could hear all about taking care of their natural hair. So, I got in touch with owners of natural salons, product lines, a dermatologist, and the first Curly-Centric Jamaica meet-up was held in February 2012.

She was born and raised in Roatan--a tiny island positioned in the Caribbean Sea, just off the coast of Honduras. But for Tish Scott, island hopping from Barbados to Grand Cayman opened the door to rediscovering her natural hair and what beauty really means.

SH: You’ve lived in many places across the Caribbean. How does Honduras, Cayman Islands and Barbados all come into play?
I was born and lived in Honduras until I was sixteen. I later migrated to the Cayman Islands. Barbados has always been the Caribbean island I wanted to visit. My best friend being from there and many other good friends, I thought it was where I wanted to live for rest of my life.

SH: Did you live in Barbados too?
No, I did not live in Barbados. My friend circle is a tight knit group of Bajans who have had an influence in my hair growth, guys and girls.

SH: How has living on these islands influenced you and your perception of beauty?
In Roatan, a beautiful little island nestled within the Honduran shores, hair is what it is! Hair is typically worn as perms or braids, and very few people still maintain their natural.

To a large degree, the people of Roatan place great importance on how you wear your hair-- length and texture. Almost like, you're not pretty unless you have very wavy curls as mulattos do. Or you get a perm because you won’t be considered 'beautiful' if you have coarse, drier, less curly or wavy hair.

I chatted with Monique for an hour and immediately I felt like we were long time friends. We had a lot in common. And our journeys to going natural were alike, in that, they were a natural progression--just another step on a path we both already seemed to be taking--as opposed to the result of a tragic affair with a relaxer. The conversation flowed in the same organic way: from the jolt of going from long hair to a cropped-top natural to how exposure to Rasta culture nurtured a natural journey already in motion. See how it unfolded after the jump.

Tell me about the inspiration behind Diosas al Natural (Natural Goddesses)? How did it all start?
Joaquin: Every time I went to visit New York or Philly, I'd see so many natural women proudly rocking their hair. I also saw the natural hair movement in the U.S. through Tumblr, Facebook etc. and I thought: I wish we could have a movement like that in Puerto Rico.

While on vacation in New York City in 2011, I met up with Kali and she had this gorgeous natural hair. We started talking and I told her about some creative projects I had in mind. One of them was to start a natural hair movement in Puerto Rico.

She asked: "Why don’t you do it?... Let’s do it!” She got me hyped and pushed me to get going. I bought a camera and took photography classes at a University. And Kali had been into photography for years, so that helped get the ball rolling. She moved to Puerto Rico in 2012 and we became partners on the project. In November, we launched the page on Facebook and Tumblr.

Why focus the project on natural hair?
Joaquin: Natural hair is a topic we are passionate about. For me, I've always seen naturally curly/coily hair as beautiful. I especially love the African presence in my culture and my people. There was no major movement/community for women with natural hair in Puerto Rico going yet. So, we decided to create it ourselves. We are not exactly bombarded with images of women with naturally curly-kinky hair in the media or in the community, so it was time to even out the playing field on the island!

What was the atmosphere like during the photo shoots?
Joaquin: Every photo shoot has a different vibe. The women and girls love it. We make them feel comfortable and they exude confidence for the most part. Usually, we try to show the character of the woman we are shooting.

And what kind of impact did you hope the project would have?
Joaquin: We want to inspire women on the island and throughout the Americas to feel proud of their hair and their roots. There is a term called “pelo malo,” which translates to “bad hair.” That term is used commonly when referring to curly/kinky textured hair. It represents an ugly perspective and history. We don’t want young girls growing up thinking they were born with something “bad.”

We also want to give encouragement to teenagers and adult women who are faced with society’s pressures and ideals of beauty daily--to keep strong against ignorance and ill-will that they may encounter. Beauty is diverse, it’s important that there are images reflecting all aspects of our heritage and the beauty within it.

How do you think the project influenced perceptions of natural hair in Puerto Rico?
Joaquin: On the island, the natural hair movement is pretty new. So, many women are seeing the beauty and versatility of their hair through the Diosas that we have shown, thus far.

Outside of Puerto Rico, there is a very limited idea of what a Puerto Rican looks like. So, it’s nice to show women on the island a more diverse image of themselves while breaking stereotypes with those who live outside of Puerto Rico.

How was the project received, especially by the natural hair community?
Joaquin: The response has been great! We pass our cards out to natural women we encounter. Seeing the expression on their faces when we hand them the card and explain our purpose makes it all worthwhile. So many Diosas have stories about their experiences with their hair and identity as a whole. It's great to provide a platform for them to share what they’ve been through while encouraging each other. Now, we're getting messages from people who are doing the big chop or transitioning because of our page. And that is pretty dope! Any new projects around the corner?
Joaquin: We are excited to be planning the first official natural hair meet-up in Puerto Rico--set to take place on Saturday, April 13th.

Ever vibrant, MONIQUE “IRIE DIVA” SOLOMON of Kingston, Jamaica, talks about rocking her natural in high-def color and how going natural helped her shed 25-pounds. Want to know how she did it? Read on.

S.H.: Having your daughter seemed to play a big part in you deciding to go natural...
I.D.: I always felt I wanted to go natural. But I’m not sure what took me so long to bite the bullet. Then, I had a baby. When munchkin’ was about 2-years-old, I started to transition. Then 2 months later, I decided to cut off all of my hair. I didn’t want her saying: “Mommy, I want your hair!"-- if I had straight hair. So, I decided to cut my hair, so she could have a role model in me.

S.H: What was your journey like when it came to learning about your hair?
I.D.: Cutting my hair--it was like something else opened up. When you cut your hair, that’s when you start to do research, and say: "Okay, I cut my hair. What now?” So, I started to Google haircare blogs, and I found huge blogs dedicated to natural hair. I had no idea it was such a movement.
I started to research ingredients and I realized people were using things found in the kitchen. They were using mayonnaise. They were using eggs... Then, I realized people were talking about stuff to put on your face and skin. I got introduced to shea butter and black soap, which I had no idea what that was.
I got introduced to aloe vera, which was in my backyard all along. But I never [used it]. I only knew it as this bitter thing my grandmother always tried to take. And I’d think: Why is she swallowing this extremely bitter thing?! [laughs] So, it was really all the blogs that introduced me to this stuff.

S.H.: Many naturals have ideas about what their hair will look like when they transition or big chop. Some get frustrated and have to learn to accept themselves all over again. What was your experience like?
I.D.: Actually, I thought my texture would be a lot kinkier based on how I remember it from high school. Then based on my daughter’s hair, I thought it would be closer to her hair type. But when I cut it off, I realized it was a lot closer to my father’s hair type. He has more curly hair. So, it’s much curlier than I expected. But, it's kind of annoying when people say to me: "Oh you can cut off your hair. You have ‘pretty’ hair."

I cut my hair is to show you can have nice hair--nice hairstyles, even if your hair is kinky. That's what I want to instill in my daughter. She has kinkier hair than me and I still love when I do her twist outs.

When I spoke to Monique, she was recouping in her apartment in Kingston, Jamaica. I called her there from New York, on an early Thursday morning. Listen in on our conversation …

MONIQUE: Hello?

S.H.: Yep! You can hear me?

MONIQUE: Yes. I can hear you perfectly. S.H.: Morning!

MONIQUE: Morning!

S.H.: Let’s start out talking hair… How long have you been natural?

MONIQUE: I’ve been natural most of my life. In 10th grade I got a relaxer, not out of pressure or the need to get a relaxer. Actually, I didn’t really consider it an option. But before I started 10th grade, I went to the hairdresser. I was going to get canerows-- like I always do--and mommy said, “Oh, you want to get your hair relaxed?” And that’s how that happened. [laughs]

S.H.: When did you transition?

MONIQUE: When I went to college. Right about sophomore year, I decided I wanted locs. So, I chopped it all off. I didn’t want to grow it out because I didn’t like the “awkward phase.” So, I kept it low for probably a year-and-a-half. I had loc extensions at some point too. That was fun for a while. Then, I didn’t know what to do with my hair! The sides wouldn’t grow, but the top would grow. I’d always look like I had a mohawk. So, I decided to relax it again for another year.

I had a cute little pixie cut but I found it hard to maintain. The back was short and I couldn’t curl around the back. And I wanted to swim; but when I went to swim, I would mess up my hair. Or if I went to the gym, I would mess up my hair. I was like, “Man, my hair is restricting me!” [laughs] I had to do something about it. I got excited and I said, “Guys, I’m gonna transition for 10 months!” Then after a month and a half, I did the big chop! [laughs]

Sponsored

CurlyNikki.com

The views expressed on curlynikki.com belong to the blogger Nikki Walton and do not necessarily reflect the views of advertisers, their affiliates or any of the brands discussed or featured on curlynikki.com.